Washington: US President Barack Obama was
apparently on the hit-list of Osama bin Laden,
the huge cache of material obtained from the
slain al-Qaeda chief’s Abbottabad hideout suggested.
There are references to the US President in the
impounded files, although there is no direct mention of Obama in these materials that have
been scanned so far by a CIA-led inter-agency
Task Force, CBS News reported.
According to a US intelligence official, bin
Laden wanted to kill Obama as part of a plot to
disrupt the 2012 presidential elections.
Bin Laden was killed by the US Navy SEALs
on May 2 at a house in Pakistan’s garrison
town of Abbottabad. PTI

Speaker must quit
over decision on
rebels: Cong
Bangalore Beat Bureau
Bangalore: The Congress today made a strong
appeal to governor H R Bhardwaj to sack the Yeddyurappa government in view of the adverse
judgment from the Supreme Court on the disqualification of 16 rebel BJP and independent
MLAs yesterday. Addressing a joint press conference at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress
Committee office in the city, party state president
G Parameshwara and opposition leader in the assembly Siddramaiah said Speaker K G Bopaiah
has sullied the dignity of the office, and danced
to the tunes of chief minister B S Yeddyurappa
before disqualifying the MLAs.
Full report on page 3

Two‑day Red
Rice Mela
kick starts
Bangalore Beat Bureau
Bangalore: A two-day mela of indigenous varieties of rice (kempakki) was kick started today.
The mela will be held at Gandhi Bhavan.
The country was known to have more than two
lakh varieties of indigenous rice, but now only
30,000 varieties are left. The government should
take these facts into consideration before thinking of the next green revolution. These red rice
varieties are grown using organic fertilisers
and these varieties does not eat into the fertility of the soil.
Full report on page 4

Beyond Beat

The mountain
of the dew

Here, you can touch the clouds every day of
the year and feel the wind blast rock you off
your feet. And for those who love wildlife it
is a great treat. Wondering which is this magical place? Then pack your bags and head to
Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills. Page 5

Bangalore: The battle lines have
been drawn. The ruling BJP and
opposition parties have started
strategic moves to draw the 11
rebel BJP and five independent
MLAs into their folds.
Pushed to the corner, chief
minister B S Yeddyurappa, who
faces the spectre of his government going out of power, has
asked his trusted lieutenants to
talk to the rebels and to get them
back to the government. His
ministers Govind Karajol,
Renukacharya and Umesh Katti
and MP Prabhakar Kore have
dashed off to Delhi to pacify the
16 MLAs, who were part of the
Yeddyurappa government earlier.
According to the patch-up formula being offered, of the 11 BJP
rebels, ministerial berths would
be offered to three, while the
others would get chiefs’ posts in
prominent boards and corporations. The independents too have
been given the option of joining
the government and they would
be suitably compensated,
sources within the BJP told Bangalore Beat.
The other option before Yeddyurappa is to revive the Operation Lotus that had been put on
hold for a while. The three legislators who are likely to be approached are Amaresh from Mulbagal (Cong), Amaregowda Byrapura of the Congress form the
Kushtagi constituency and Subash Guttedar, JD(S) MLA from

Gulbarga. The talks had been
going on for a while now.
With the very survival of
the government reaching a critical stage, they
would be roped in

when the push comes to shove.
But state Congress president G
Parameshwara denied that his
party legislators had shown any
interest in switching parties. “We
have already spoken to them
and they have denied that there
are talks with the BJP. We will
take counter measures to stop the
BJP from taking away our legislators.”
Yeddyurappa may also ask
Speaker K G Bopaiah to play another hand if the situation becomes critical. Bopaiah would
have to disqualify at least 15 opposition party MLAs who have
been indicted by a house committee headed by Appachu Ranjan.
JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy too is in New Delhi
to talk to the rebels to dethrone
the government and to stay united. He told a news channel, “It is
not true to say that I was behind
their moves to get out of the
government. They were going
through mental trauma. I only
encouraged them to reduce their
stress and to keep them at peace.
I am sure that the BJP will again
indulge in Operation Lotus to fortify its numbers. That party
would have also taken measures to get them back to the party. It is up to them to decide
which way they would go. We
will not influence them.”
About the emergency session
that is beginning Monday, he
said, “It is unconstitutional and
should be given notice seven
days prior to the session.”

No clue on 12‑yr‑old boy; search

continues for second day
Bangalore Beat Bureau
Bangalore: Search operation continued today to trace 12-year-old H Arvind, who was
washed away in Vrushbavati storm water
drain adjacent to Karnataka Vidyuth
Karkane on Bangalore-Mysore road last
evening. Teams from the BBMP and fire
brigade scoured the length and breadth of
the drain to fish out the body.
The search operation that was called off
after sunset yesterday was resumed early
this morning. “Four teams have taken up
the search operation. Till now we have not
received any clues. Among the four teams,
one is palike rescue team, one is fire service and two are volunteers,” said Hampinagar corporator Chandrashekar.
On the reasons behind not taking up precautionary measures, he said, “We had taken up fencing on the storm water drain and
had also constructed a 5-foot wall to stop
people from falling into the drain. As the
commissioner had ordered desilting works

Now
in
Mysore

Gomez depressed P8

WAR ON TO
Bangalore Beat Bureau

BangaloreBeat

in the drain, we had cut the fencing. But the
boy who was searching for the ball jumped
over the wall and then fell into the drain.
As there was a heavy flow due to last
evening’s rain, he was washed away. People should be careful and not let their children near these storm water drains.”
Arvind was a resident of Venkatesh Nagar slum. The incident took place when he
was playing with his friends yesterday afternoon near the drain. He was washed
away when he attempted to pick the ball
which had fallen into the storm water
drain.
Over the last one year, five children, including Arvind, have been carried away in
storm water drain. This is the second
such incident in the heavy pre-monsoon
showers the city has been witnessing over
the last one month. On April 23, a 14-yearold boy Manikanta was carried away by
the storm water drain as he too went in
search of a cricket ball when the incident
occurred.

Have not
got letter,
says guv

New Delhi: “I have not received any letter from chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on holding the emergency session,”
said governor H R Bhardwaj here this
morning. The cabinet took a decision
to call for an emergency session after an
emergency meeting yesterday. The cabinet wanted the session to commence
on Monday, law and parliamentary
affairs minister Suresh Kumar announced yeserday.
“I will look at the letter sent by the
chief minister when I return to Bangalore. I will look into the matter then,”
he said.

“I have not stood in the way of the session. Let the file reach me and then I
will look into the matter,” he said.
On speaking about the Supreme
Court’s decision which went in favour
of 16 disqualified MLAs he said, “The
Supreme Court gave the judgment yesterday around 2.30 pm and I was waiting for an official copy. I received it only
in the evening and I have to go through
it in detail.”
The governor met Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh this morning and
spoke to him about the illegal mining
issue.

CITY 2

Saturday, May 14, 2011

HYUNDAI UNVEILS

Movie Listings
KANNADA

Fluidic in middle segment
L Raghunanda
Bangalore Beat Bureau

Bangalore: The new version of Verna from the
stables of Hyundai, Fluidic, was unveiled in the
city on Thursday. Priced between Rs 7.07 lakh
and Rs 9.77 lakh, the car has been placed in the
middle segment.
The car has already made waves in the automotive circles for its aesthetics, and is being
dubbed “Fluidic Sculpture”. The car boasts of
futuristic design with sports coupe like profile.
The New Fluidic Verna displays the next generation character lines. On the front, Fluidic
Verna displays the next generation hexagonal
grille, eagle-eye headlamps with wide air dam
and distinctive ‘L’ shaped fog lamps that enhances
the overall look of the car.
The car has been released in six colours and
some of the top colours in the category previously
used by Hyundai like sleek silver, carbon grey,
stone beige, phantom black, crystal white and
purple fantasia have been retained.
Arvind Saxena, director, marketing, Hyundai,
said, “Six years of research has gone into product
development at Hyundai, giving importance to
quality. Our priority has been end user and his
satisfaction.
“The car has been a hit among customers in
Hyundai’s home country South Korea, and in
the neighbouring China and Russia. It will be
launched in the US shortly now that its release
in India is over.”
Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has raised
the capacity of production from tree to six lakh
units and has a presence in 115 countries across
Europe, Africa, West Asia, Latin America and
Asia Pacific.
Hyundai has a good network of 322 dealer
network, and 663 service points across the country, he said.
Gagan Khoda, deputy general manager, product planning, Hyundai, said, “The multi-million
dollar research centre in Hyderabad has been
researching to provide cutting-edge global technology to customers all over the world.”

kgm at 1900-2750 rpm of peak torque.
The 1.6 litre versions of both petrol and diesel
engine are mated to 4-speed automatic transmission, while manual transmission is available
with all four engine options.

which adds to unparalleled safety while driving
and three clutch-lock system which adds to the
safety of the car when parked.

Interiors

DEVDAS (U/A)

Fuel efficiency
The officials said that Hyundai cars are known
for fuel efficiency, whether it is A2 segment
under which comes Santro, i10 and i20, A3 segment under which comes Accent, Verna, or A4
segment under which comes Sonata Transform
and SUV Santa Fe.
The Fluidic 1.4-litre petrol version boasts of
17.43 kmpl, while the diesel equivalent gives
23.5 kmpl, making it the most fuel-efficient car
in the segment, they added.

While some of features are common among
its class of cars, clean air clusters and ionizer
have been included, so that fresh air is maintained
for travellers inside. Leather upholstery has been
part of all seats with ample leg space available
both for traveller in front and back. Rear-seat
traveller has armrest an adjustable head rest,
which has been included for the front-seat
traveller too.

Unique features
Some features you see among Hyundai category
of cars and SUVs have also been included in
Fluidic Verna. It is fitted with first-in-its-class
anti-braking system (ABS) with electronic brake
force distribution (EBD) which distributes the
brake power equally to all the wheels helping
the driver on a wet and slippery road.
It is fitted with rear parking camera and also
reverse parking sensors ensuring safe and easy
parking of the car.
Hands-free Bluetooth, plus steering-mounted
audio controls, helps driver controlling the audio
without a hassle. Drivers can also receive and
make phone calls using the Bluetooth technology.
The car provides all round protection and has
six airbags, of which two curtain airbags run
along the length of the cabin, two side airbags,
two for driver and front passenger.
The other features include automatic unlocking of the door on collision, facilitating
a quick exit of the occupants, speedsensing auto door lock prevents
accidental opening of the
door while moving

Fluidic Verna comes in both petrol and
diesel variants with the petrol 1.4-litre
VTVT delivering 107PS at 6300 rpm of
maximum power and 13.8 kgm at
5000rpm of peak torque and the
petrol 1.6 litre VTVT engine delivering 123PS at 6300rpm maximum
power and 15.8 at 4200 rpm peak
torque.
The diesel variant comes with
common rail direct fuel injection
(CRDi) 1.4 litre with 90PS at 4000
rpm maximum power and 22.43
kgm at 1750-2750 rpm of peak torque,
and diesel 1.6 litre VGT CRDi comes with range
topping 128 at 4,000 rpm max power and 26.5

Bangalore Beat Bureau
Bangalore: The science of understanding cloud formation in
the sky is very important. A science
magazine
has
said clouds appear to be a big
and bad player in global warming and they play a huge role in
climate change, said chairman
of
the
Jawaharlal
Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Roddam
Narashimha at Bangalore University Science Day celebration.
He said the Central College
premises should be protected.
“This is where C V Raman (Nobel
laureate) announced Raman Effect. It has great historic value,”
he said.
Roddam Narasimha, Bangalore University vice-chancellor
N Prabhu Dev, Nero Virology
department chairman and NIHMANS registrar Prof V Ravi inaugurated the event by lighting
the lamp.
A large number of students
from various colleges participated in the annual science day
celebration.
The lecture was about 40 minutes and the presentation included information on various
types of clouds along with pictures taken few years back. It
was compared with the current
cloud formation.
Prof Ravi gave a lecture on
HIV and AIDS.

KSRTC wins telecom tech award
Bangalore: Karnataka Road Transport
Corporation has won the National FIEO
– Telecom Technology Awards-2011 under
the category amazing new mobile service
and special award by jury. KSRTC managing director Gaurav Gupta received
the award from Union commerce and
industry ministry secretary Rahul Khullar
in New Delhi on Thursday.
FIEO – Telecom Technology Awards2011 were instituted by the Federation
of Indian Export Organisations, an apex
trade promotion organization of the
country set up by the Union transport
ministry in 1965. The awards acknowledge
immense contribution made by the company or organization in the technology
sector.
KSRTC project – bus tickets through
mobile booking – won the telecom technology award. KSRTC is the first sale
transport undertaking in the country to
introduce URL-based mobile booking
application to book bus tickets. Passengers can access ksrtc.in/mobile or
http://m.ksrtc.in from GPRS-enabled mobile phones to book tickets.

Station
Bangalore City
Thanjavur
Mysore
Bangalore City
Secunderabad
Bangalore City
Secunderabad
Bangalore City
Jaipur
Bangalore City
Kakinada Town
Bangalore City
Kanyakumari
Vishakapatnam
Bangalore City
Mysore City
Tuticorin City
Bangalore City
Bangalore City
Trivandrum
Bangalore City
Hubli City
Hubli City
Bangalore City
Nanded
Bangalore City
Kolhapur
Bangalore City
Hubli City
Mysore Jn
Tipupathi
Mysore Jn
Bangalore City
Mysore Jn
Bangalore City
Jolarpettai
Bangalore City
Mysore Jn
Bangalore City
Salem Jn
Bangalore City
Hospet Jn

Bangalore: A one-day yoga and
meditation camp for transgenders
was held in the city yesterday.
The camp, organised by the
Mahabodhi Mission in association
with the Karnataka Managala
Mukhiara Sangha, saw more
than 50 from the community taking part.
Samata Sainik Dal president
Venkat
Swamy
said,
“Transgenders are ill-treated because they lack discipline.
“With a motive to implement
discipline among them, this camp
has been taken up by the Mahabodhi Mission under the guidance
of Prakash Panthiji, a Buddhist
monk.”
He advised transgenders to lead
a life of dignity.

Exhibitions
Eka: Sculptures and wall murals in cold ceramic by the
renowned Simi Nirula of
Kolkata. A slice of rustic Indian life, the sculptures capture the beauty, innocence
and joy of everyday living. Affordably priced, each sculpture is a timeless work of art.
Rustic Muse, on display till
29th May at Eka, 19 Gangadhar
Chetty Road, Near Ulsoor
Lake. Open all days, 10am to
8 pm.
National gallery of modern
Art: Presenting the Homai
Vyarawalla exhibition curated
by Sabeena Gadihoke. The
exhibition captures the years
before and after India gained
independenc. 49, Palace
Road, High grounds. 10 am
to 7 pm
Renaissance Art Gallerie: A
group show of paintings by
Abeer Shah, Smita Agrawal,
Neha Mhyavanshi and Kanthraj. 104 Cunningham Road,
10 am to 6 pm
AF: Presents Paris La Metisse
that captures the magic and
romance that exist on the tiny
streets of Paris in a series of
photographs by Florence
Batarière and Morgan Haël
Jypsian The sensitivity of the
writing and the photographic
art give the city of Paris a tan-

Music
Chowdiah memorial hall:
Hear carnatic vocalist Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna live in concert. Gayathri
Devi Park Extension, 16th
Cross, Malleshwaram, 6 pm
onwards.
Opus: Kingfisher Ultra presents ULTRA AW3SUM with
Karan Joseph on keys, crooner
Venkat Subramaniyam and
Carlton Braganza on vocals.
No 4, 1st main, Chakravarthy
Layout, Palace Cross Road, 9
pm onwards
Cubbon Park: Air Force Station Jalahalli is organising a
concert by the Air Warrior
Symphony Orchestra that includes some of the finest musicians in the IAF. The entry
to the concert is free. Cubbon
Park, 5 pm
Bacchus: Your monthly dose
of phat beats, funky basslines
and classic tracks that take
you through the years and
back, by Ghetooblaster. Spearheaded by DJ Uri of Start from
Scratch (London) who aims
to fill the void for the people
striving for that special eclectic
blend. Papanna Street, St.
Mark’s Road.

Theatre
Ranga shankara: Presenting
The Interview, a play about a
young man’s unusual job interview with a huge corporation. He faces the most challenging hour of his life, but
he’s keen to make it though.
After all, it is a job to die for.
No. 36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase,
RV Dental College, JP Nagar,
7.30 pm.

There will be bigger mass movement
if Lokpal bill is not passed: Hegde
L Raghunanda
Bangalore Beat Bureau

Bangalore: The Jan Lokpal Bill
2011 will be more effective than
the Sarkar Lok Pal Bill 2010, and
if the government does not implement the new bill there will
be a bigger mass civil movement
than the one witnessed last time
under the leadership of Gandhian Anna Hazare, warned
Lokayukta and Jan Lok Bill drafting committee member Santosh
Hegde.
Justice Hegde spoke to Bangalore Beat at length. Here are
excerpts from the interview.
What is the difference between
the two Lokpal bills?
Amendments to the Sarkar
Lokpal bill have been made with
“whims and fancies”, only to
see that if a public servant is
caught he will have enough escape routes. Here it is a clear
case of justice delayed is justice
denied. But in the Jan Lokpal

bill, the interests of civil society
will be represented. If implemented and executed in the right
manner, it will ensure speedy
justice.
What is the constitution of
the Jan Lokpal committee?
It will have 10 Lokpals and
one chief Lokpal.
Apart from Gandhian Anna
Hazare (who led a massive movement against corruption that
forced the government to form
a committee to formulate the Jan
Lokpal bill), the committee will
have former IPS officer Kiran
Bedi, I, advocate Shanthi
Bhushan, and Arvind Kejriwal.
After consultation among the
draft committee members, we
have decided that if anybody
has to be included as a member,
he should have the character
and conduct that reflects aspirations of the civil society.
It could be a young judge from
the Supreme Court or the
youngest chief justice of high

But in the subsequent amendments, by attaching various
clauses, that provision has been
removed.
When we asked (Union finance minister) Pranab Mukherjee, (Union home minister) P
Chidambaram and (Union law
minister) Veerappa Moily, as to
why there is such a hue and cry
over including the Prime Minister,
they remained silent.
But why cannot the governor
and President be brought under
its ambit?
It is well settled now that the
President and a governor are
protectors of the Constitution.
They are looked upon with the
highest decorum. Again their
stand cannot be questioned in
court or he could even be a sitting among members of the bill the court of law. But there are
election commissioner or Comp- drafting committee?
questions about effective impletroller and Auditor General.
If you look way back into the mentation of the act.
While there is some confu- Prevention of Corruption Act of
If someone files a complaint
sion over bringing the Prime 1947, it had made the Prime Min- in some corner of the country,
Minister under the ambit of ister accountable who could be how will it be addressed effecLokpal, what is the opinion tried for charges of corruption. tively and investigation carried

out?
Anyone can file a complaint
anywhere, and in order to make
the administration of justice simple, any officer not less than the
level of superintendent of police
at the district level will accept
the complaints from you.
They will send the complaint
to the district magistrate, who
will forward it to the Lokpal.
This will ensure speedy justice.
What if the bill is not passed
in the next session of Parliament? What is the way forward?
Allies within the United Progressive Alliance have said they
would support the bill, see that
there is a proper discussion on
the floor of the House and get it
passed. But the government too
has seen the massive civil society
movement.
If the government does not
pay heed, then there will again
be an agitation, possibly bigger
than the one started by Anna
Hazare last time.

Speaker must quit over decision on rebels: Cong
Thungabhadra Ravi

Bangalore Beat Bureau
Bangalore: The Congress today made
a strong appeal to governor H R Bhardwaj to sack the Yeddyurappa government in view of the adverse judgment
from the Supreme Court on the disqualification of 16 rebel BJP and independent MLAs yesterday.
Addressing a joint press conference
at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress
Committee office in the city, party state
president G Parameshwara and opposition leader in the assembly Siddramaiah said Speaker K G Bopaiah has
sullied the dignity of the office, and
danced to the tunes of chief minister B
S Yeddyurappa before disqualifying the
MLAs. “The MLAs were not given a
hearing before the Speaker took the
decision. As mentioned by the Supreme
Court, it violates the natural law of justice. The Speaker should own responsibility for his actions and resign immediately.” The Speaker’s decision violates the Constitution and the antidefection law. It smacks of partiality
and political motive. It is unilateral, biased, motivated and partisan,” they alleged.
The Congress leaders will meet the

governor tomorrow and submit a memorandum asking him to sack the government.
With the Supreme Court verdict, true
colours of the Speaker have been exposed. The hurry with which he disqualified the MLAs shows that he was
taking orders from the chief minister,
they said. “Governor H R Bhardwaj
should exercise his constitutional powers and take action against the guilty.”
Referring to the emergency session
called by Yeddyurappa from Monday,
they said, “It shows that it is purely a
political move. There has been no precedence of holding the assembly session
during May. It is normally held during
November and October. The session
has been called by Yeddyurappa purely
to save his chair and government. What
was the urgency to call for the session
now?”
On rumours of Operation Lotus beginning again, they said, “The only
performance of this government has
been poaching MLAs from other parties.
Instead of focusing on development
works, this government has been indulging in these unconstitutional activities. Operation Lotus has been the
only achievement of this government

Opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah addresses the media at a press meet at the Karnataka Pradesh
Congress Committee office this morning as party president G Parameshwara looks on.
in the last three years.”
They said, “The BJP central leadership
has been crying hoarse about corruption.
What has it done to contain corruption
in the state and what action has it taken?”

Itʼs raining woes
Raagamayi Rajsekhar

Alliance Francaise: Watch
Full Meals—six original short
plays that explore the flavours
of life you’ve never tasted before. No.108, Thimmaiah Rd,
Vasanthnagar, 7 pm

On the election results, they said,
“The BJP has been wiped out in Assam,
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. There is
a lesson in this. BJP president Nitin
Gadkari has to resign owning responsibility for the poor show.”

CM continues Janata Darshan

Asked whether the Congress leaders
would attend the assembly session,
Siddaramaiah said, “I have not received
any notice on the session. We will take
a decision based on the letter we receive.”

Gangadhar Pujar

Dance
Indian council for cultural
Relations: A Kathak dance
recital under the Horizon Series by exponent Jayanthi M
Eshwarputhi. The Khincha
Auditorium, Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, Race Course Road,
6.30pm.
Miscellaneous Taj west end:
Book release of Indomitable
Spirit - A Biography on Mr.
R.V. Deshpande by Dr. R.G.
Hegde, through the august
hands of His Holiness Sri Sri
Ravi Shankar, of the Art of
Living Foundation. Followed
by dinner. Grand Ballroom,
The Taj West End Hotel, Race
Course Road.
Page Turners: An evening of
storytelling based on the extensive work on folklore of
the Kirati community by
Acoustic Traditional, along
with an exhibition of rare stories, myths and legends. MG
Road.
Iflac Spanish: Short-term and
long-term career oriented
diploma courses for Spanish.
Also available are support
classes for IB and IGCSE programs. IFLac is a certified
DELE Examination Centre, the
only certificate for non-native
Spanish speakers that is officially recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education. Institutes located at Basavangudi and Palace Road.
Higher power foundation Rehab centre: Inaugurating the
ladies’ wing and a celebration
of festival of recovery with a
reunion of past and present
patients. #128, 10th Cross,
Esther Enclave, Horamavu
Town Hall: The worldfamous
magician, Jadugar Anand
known across the world for
thrilling shows that will keep
you on the edge of your seat,
is performing a series of shows
with his son Akash everyday
at Town Hall, 4 pm and 7 pm.

Heavy rain created havoc across the city last evening. Here, riders wade through water
logged streets in front of Forum Mall in Koramangala.

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa hears people’s grievances as he holds Janata Darshan at
his official residence Krishna this morning.

India will throw up a lot of
biz opportunities: Bijoor
Bangalore Beat Bureau
Bangalore: India will be the third-largest
economy in the world by 2025, opening up
a large number of business opportunities,
brand expert and CEO of Consults Inc Harish
Bijoor has said.
Addressing students of Presidency School
of Business on their graduation day, he said
the business world would change dramatically with factors like globalization, urbanization and climate change.
Instant gratification will not work, only
hard work is the only way to success. Today’s
generation has been impatient and this is
not a good way to grow, he advised students.
“India is a happening country which has
the potential to be the source of power and
profit. By 2020, the country’s GDP (gross
domestic product) will be $7 trillion and
will be in the third spot after the US and
China,” he said.
Attitude is the most important thing for

success in the corporate world where
the younger generation should remain
optimistic. To taste success in the corporate
world, team work, knowledge and integrity
at place of work are very essential, said
Presidency College principal Brahm Sharma.
Knowledge should be upgraded and commonsense should be used when the tough
time and problems arise. Strict management
will succeed in the corporate world, he
added.
“Quality benchmark should be high in
the corporate sector and you should be an
honest critic of yourself. Only we can rectify
our mistakes,” said Bosch director Sanjay
Chakravarthy.
Absolute focus should be developed
without diverting the attention to
succeed in life, he advied the graduating
students.
Presidency Group of Institutions chairman
Nissar Ahmed and faculty dean Radha
Padmanabha took part in the ceremony.

NEWS 4

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Two‑day Red Rice COURT DEFERS ORDER ON

Mela kick starts KANI BAIL PLEA TO MAY 20
Thungabadra Ravi

Bangalore Beat Bureau

Bangalore: A two-day mela of
indigenous varieties of rice (kempakki) was kick started today.
The mela will be held at Gandhi
Bhavan.
The country was known to
have more than two lakh varieties of indigenous rice, but now
only 30,000 varieties are left.
The government should take
these facts into consideration
before thinking of the next green
revolution.
These red rice varieties are
grown using organic fertilisers
and these varieties does not eat
into the fertility of the soil.
The mela has 10 stalls with
farmers from different parts of
the state displaying different varieties of rice. Farmers have come
from Gulbarga, Raichur, Shimoga, Yadgir have brought huge
quantities of rice for exhibition
and sale. More than 100 rice varieties have been put on display
and the organisers expect more
than 5,000 people to visit the
stalls.
Gandasalla, Belgaum basmati, Navara, Intan, Mysore
mallige, Basmati boiled rice,
Akkalu, Bilimuduga, Doddibatha,Chinnaponni, Gandasala,
Rajmudi and Jolaga are some of
the varieties that have been put
on display.
K S Sagar, member-secretary,
organic farming department,
agriculture ministry, Dr H S Prema, food expert, Dr Satayanarayana Bhatt, ayurveda expert,
and N R Shetty, president of Sahaja Samrudhhi, took part in
the inauguration ceremony this
morning.
Dr Prema said, “Nowadays,
people eat food which are artifical, or grown using chemical
fertilizers and also lead a life
full of stres. They are being afflicted with various types of
lifestyle diseases like diabetes,
joint pain and stomach ulcers.
People should consume these
local varieties of rice which are
known for their therapeutic value
too, especially the Navara variety.”
Devendrappa, a farmer
from Kekkere village of Yadgir
district, said, “There are many
varieties of indigenous rice varieties, but it is unfortunate that
many don’t know their nutritional value. Last year, I and
my family have grown 14 quintals of Navara rice in just one
acre. I have four acres of paddy
field, where 44 varieties are
tried
out.
Navara is not Karnataka variety,
but originated in Kerala.
Because of its medicinal value I
am getting a good price at Rs 80

New Delhi: In a sort of anti-climax, a
special court today prolonged the suspense on the bail application of DMK
MP Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum case
by deferring the pronouncement of its
order till May 20.
“The order is deferred to May 20,” Special CBI Judge O P Saini said after marking
the presence of all the accused including
43-year-old Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK
chief M Karunanidhi.
Seeing a huge presence of journalists,
Saini questioned as to why there were
so many journalists and then simply
passed the order.
CBI lawyer A K Singh told reporters
outside the court that the only reason
which the judge gave for not pronouncing
the order was that it was not ready.
The court also adjourned its pronouncement of order till May 20 on the bail plea
of Sharad Kumar, MD and CEO of Kalaignar TV.
Kanimozhi was accompanied by her
husband G Aravindan and DMK parliamentary party leader T R Baalu.
Earlier, the court had on May 7 reserved

from Shahid Usman Balwa’s firm DB Realty.
The CBI has accused her of conspiring
with Raja. She has also been charged
under the Prevention of Corruption Act
for taking bribe through Kalaignar TV--a
channel run by the DMK -- in which the
bribe of the 2G scam was routed.
Speaking to reporters after the court
deferred its order on bail pleas of Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar, Janata Party
president Subramanian Swamy said Kanimozhi is not going to escape from CBI’s
clutches as more evidence against her is
going to come up.
its order on the bail pleas of Kanimozhi
“I do not think she (Kanimozhi) is
and Sharad Kumar after hearing extensive going to escape as more evidence is going
arguments advanced by criminal lawyer to come. I do not think this matter is in
Ram Jethmalani who, citing the charge any way showing that she is going to be
sheet, blamed former Telecom Minister let off or that the CBI is going easy on
A Raja for the offence attributed to Kani- her,” Swamy said.
mozhi.
Kanimozhi and Kumar hold 20 per
The special court, designated by the cent stake each in Kalaignar TV while
Supreme Court to deal exclusively with Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, who
the 2G case, has to decide the fate of holds the remaining 60 per cent share in
Kanimozhi who has been accused of tak- the broadcasting channel, has been made
ing Rs 200 crore bribe for Kalaignar TV a witness.

Kanimozhi appeared before the court
on May 6 in compliance with the summons issued after she was named in the
second chargesheet.
Pressing for Kanimozhi’s bail, Jethmalani had sought to blame Raja and
Sharad Kumar for the alleged offence
saying she neither signed any documents
nor handled affairs of the company.
“My misfortune is that I am Karunanidhi’s daughter and an MP. I have 20 per
cent shares in Kalaignar TV. Show me
one overt act of mine which relates to
the offence,” he had said.
He had contended that apart from having 20 per cent shares in Kalaignar TV,
she does not have any role in running its
day-to-day affairs.
CBI opposed her bail plea saying her
“complicity” in the alleged bribe given
to Kalaignar TV in the 2G scam was clear.
“The transactions (of Rs 200 crore) are
nothing but the transfer of bribe money
to Kalaignar TV. Kumar alone cannot be
held responsible when a family is having
the controlling shares,” special public
prosecutor U U Lalit had argued. PTI

Tough job awaits Congress in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: With UDF securing
power with a thin majority of 72 seats in the
140-member Assembly in Kerala, tough administrative and organisational tasks are
awaiting Congress as the lead partner in
the bipolar scenario.
Running the combine within and outside
the assembly will be a delicate job for ConNew Delhi: Senior Congress leaders Madgress leaders, including Chief Ministerial
hushudhan Mistry and Mohsina Kidwai
probable Oommen Chandy who will have
were today made central observers for
to put up with pressures from partners while
Kerala while Pranab Mukherjee and Digvioffering a “stable, pro-people and developjay Singh have been entrusted with the
ment-oriented rule” as promised to voters.
task for Assam. The announcement was
The presence of CPI(M)-led LDF as a
made by party General Secretary Janardstrong and vigilant opposition will be a
han Dwivedi a day after the Congress
compelling factor for the UDF to be doubly
ousted the LDF from power in Kerala in
cautious in its every move in the coming
a keen contest and came to power for
days.
the third successive time in Assam. In
Though the Congress and its partners
Kerala, the names of Oommen Chandy
have exuded confidence that they would
and Ramesh Chennithala are doing the
run the government cohesively, political obrounds for the post of chief minister while
servers here feel that problems might
in Assam, incumbent Tarun Gogoi is excrop up right from the ministry-formation
pected to be made chief minister for the
process.
third term after the party’s spectacular
According to observers, Congress’s tally
performance, party sources said. IANS
of 38 seats, which stood far short of expectations, could be exploited by partners like
the Kerala Congress (Mani faction) to drive coalitions is slightly above 1.50 lakh. By
a hard bargain during ministry-formation. preliminary estimates, the UDF secured
The difference of votes between the two 45.61 per cent and LDF 44.9 per cent of the

Mistry, Kidwai
made central
observers

People visit the Red Rice Mela that kicked off at Gandhi
Bhavan this morning.
per kg.”
Syed Gani Khan, one of the
promoters and persons behind
Save Indigenious Rice Campaign,
and also a farmer from
Malavalli of Mandya district,
said, “For the last 10 years, I
have been promoting many varieties of indigenous rice asking
farmers to grow these rice vari-

Basavanna remembered

polled votes. BJP, whose hopes of opening
account in the assembly were dashed once
again, secured 6.06 per cent, which is two
per cent higher than its vote share in the
2006 polls.For the Congress, keeping the
right class, caste and religious composition
while choosing its members could be a difficult task as two of its key allies--Kerala
Congress (M) and Indian Union Muslim
League-are minority-dominated parties.
Besides, smaller parties like Kerala Congress (Jacob), Kerala Congress (B) and RSP
(B), which have one one seat each, will also
have to be rewarded with ministerial berth
as the support of every single MLA is crucial
for the survival of the ministry.
Accepting the defeat, the CPI(M) has made
it clear that the LDF would sit in opposition
and would not encourage any party to cross
from the rival side.
But, going by the state’s political history,
this would not mean that the opposition
would allow the UDF to run the government
smoothly for long with such a wafer-thin
majority. As the opposition, most probably
under the leadership of outgoing Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, the LDF is certain
to closely watch the government without
letting go of any chance to “oppose and expose” the rival. PTI

position as a regional leader” to spearhead the
initiative to normalise relations with Pakistan,
Blake said noting that he had invited his Pakistani
counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani to watch a World
Cup cricket match in March.
Building on the ‘cricket diplomacy’ launched
by “Prime Ministers Singh and Gilani in Mohali,
the commerce secretaries
of the two countries met last month in Islamabad
and jointly announced ambitious commitments
to enhance trade and commercial ties,” Blake
noted.
“India’s economic rise presents an enormous
opportunity for Pakistan, and the normalisation
of economic ties could provide immense benefits
to millions of entrepreneurs, farmers and businesspeople in both countries,” he said.
“More critically, a bilateral breakthrough could
provide a catalyst for wider regional economic
integration, a transformative goal we all wish realised,” he said. IANS

students told
Bangalore Beat Bureau

While students will be in a
hurry to increase their memory
Mysore: Mysore University Li- power, they neglect the issue of
brary and Information Science concentration. “In studies merely
Students Association has organ- memory will not help without
ised a one-day workshop concentration. One should focus
on art of mind control and invited on both to get good results,” he
Rasik Shekhar Das of said.
ISKON to deliver a lecture today
Meditation is the ultimate
morning.
weapon to achieve goals in life,
Shekhar Das said aim is im- he concluded.
portant in one’s life. However
Dr Mallinath Kumbar,
many times heart will not allow Prof and chairman Mysore Unione’s mind to achieve the aim versity Library & Information
and reach the objectives and Science were present on the ocgoals in life.
casion.

BMTC to ply 200 Chorona Skypack buses

Raagamayi Rajsekhar

Bangalore Beat Bureau

ʻMen need protectionʼ

Bangalore: The BMTC which has set a precedent by launching state of the art buses has
set yet another example by launching a hitech bus to ply within the city roads. The
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation launched BS IV Model type ‘Chorona
Skypack bus’ here in the city at the Shanthinagar bus stop this morning.
”Bangalore is the only city in the country
to have Chorona Skypack BS IV technology
bus. The main specialty of the bus is that it
is built on an ‘integrated platform’ unlike
other buses which are built on chassis. The
overall length of the bus is 12 meters with
automatic transmission,” said Maheshkumar
GB, CEO Chorona Bus Manufacturers Pvt
Ltd.
Speaking on the features of this bus he
said, “one of the main feature of this bus is
that it is five times more safe than the buses
built on chassis. The bus will ensure 25 to
40 per cent better fuel efficiency and save a
lot of money on fuel. Another main feature
is that the bus has independent suspension
and is build with less than 2 tonnes of metal.”

BMTC MD Zameer Pasha inaugurates the bus at BMTC Shanthinagar bus depot.
Syed Zameer Pasha, managing director
BMTC said, “Out of the 13 cities in the
country, Bangalore is the only city where
BS IV model type monocoque frame technology buses are launched.
Having capacity of 44 seats with air con-

ditioner, this bus will ply form Kempegowda
bus station to BIAL on a trail basis
for two months and after getting feedback
form the people about 100 to 200 Chronoa
Skypack buses will be introduced in the
city.”

Reform visa process to attract Indian,
Chinese tourists: US travel body
‘Forum to Protect Men’ today organised a protest against atrocities being committed by
some women and police against men. They allege that such incidents of physical and
mental torture are increasing and men are in need protection.

Tokyo: Japan Saturday shut
down its Hamaoka nuclear power
plant over fears of a major earthquake, Kyodo News reported.
The Chubu Electric Co. – the
plant’s operator – said it had
halted the last two operating reactors, No.3 and No.4, on a request from the Japanese government. Reactors No.1 and No.2 built in the 1970s - were shut
down two years ago. Prime Minister Naoto Kan said earlier that
they decided to shut down the
reactors due to risk of an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0
or more on the Pacific side of
central Japan. There is an 87 percent possibility that a massive
earthquake will hit the area within the next 30 years, officials
said. The government has been
reviewing the safety of the country’s 54 nuclear reactors.

US hails Indian eﬀorts Achieve goals
to rebuild Afghanistan by meditation,

eties. Based on rice exchange
programme, I have been dealing
in getting local varieties from
other states. Now I have rice
from other countries too, like
Thailand, Thai Jasmine, Burma
Washington: Taking note of India’s “enhanced
black rice, Pakistan basmati.
Thai rice and Burma black are position as a regional leader” the United States
used in Indian cuisine like has welcomed New Delhi’s boost in aid to Kabul
and strong support to international efforts to
paisam.
rebuild a stable Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s just concluded visit to Kabul “underscored India’s strong
efforts to support international efforts to rebuild
a secure, stable Afghanistan,” Assistant Secretary
of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake
said Friday.
During his Kabul visit, Manmohan Singh pledged
$500 million in fresh aid to Afghanistan, raising
the Indian contribution to $2 billion, he noted in
a speech at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a think-tank.
“India has assisted with critical infrastructure,
like power stations and the Parliament building,
and small development projects like health care
facilities and wells,” Blake said.
Manmohan Singh “recognized India’s enhanced

Washington: The US Travel Association has proposed a reform
of US visa policies to make America more open and welcoming
to visitors, particularly from
emerging economies like India,
China and Brazil.
A report released by the organisation suggests that the “antiquated” US visa process often
drives international travellers to
other countries.

Figures released by USTA show
that while travel is the largest
US industry export sector, the
United States has failed to keep
pace with other parts of the world
– such as Western Europe – as a
travel destination in the past
decade.
Looking specifically at growing
economies like China, India and
Brazil, global long-haul travel
grew 140 percent from 2000 to

2010 and is projected to double
again over the next decade.
But only a fraction of that travel, and the billions of dollars in
revenue it creates, went to the
United States, it said.
If the system is updated, it
could create 1.3 million new jobs
across America and add $859
billion to the economy by 2020,
according to the USTA research.
The main proposals in the

USTA plan are to increase
staffing, reduce wait times for
visa interviews and expand the
Visa Waiver Programme.
Roger Dow, the association’s
president and chief executive,
said: “As a nation, we’re putting
up a ‘keep out’ sign.”
“The United States imposes
unnecessary barriers on international visitors, and that inhibits
our economic growth.” IANS

Scholarship
for children
of labourers
Mysore: Sankalp group of Industries has sponsored Rs. 1 lakh
for the National Institute of Engineering’s (NIE) scholarship
awards for children of construction labour.
V K Jagadeesh Babu, MD,
Sankalp Group distributed scholarships to meritorious children
at a function held here today
morning.
He said the Sankalp group is
committed to sponsor Rs. 1 lakh
every year as scholarship
for children of construction
\workers who have achieved distinction in SSLC and PUC examinations. The group has also
promised to adopt children who
have entered professional engineering courses. H N Ramatheertha, Director NIE was present
on the occasion.

Naxals
abduct four
farmers
Sasaram (Bihar): Suspected
Maoists have abducted four farmers from Pararya village in
Chutiya police station area of
Bihar's Rohtas district, the police
said today.
Over 40 armed Maoists raided
the village late last night and
and took four farmers to an unknown place at gunpoint, the
police said. The farmers were
identified as Vibhishan Tiwari,
Jaidurak Tiwari, Dhiraj Tiwari
and Rajgrih Tiwari.

Printed and published by B M Arun Kumar vide RNI Registration No. KARENG/2010/33126. Published by SAM Global Media, # 37, 1 Floor, 2nd Main, N. R. Colony, Bangalore - 560 019. Editor: B M Arun Kumar Printed at Lavanya Mudrana, #19, 15th Cross, Thyaarajanagar, Bangalore – 560 028. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation in any language in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
The publisher assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material or for material lost or damaged in transit. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Bangalore only.

Beyond Beat
THE MOUNTAIN
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Antarctic
icebergs help
ocean absorb
carbon dioxide

OF THE DEW

Photos: Shravan Iyer

Washington: Antarctic icebergs may be instrumental in boosting the growth of algae that absorbs
atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and transfers
it back into the deep sea through marine food
chains.
Marine biologist Ken Smith from Monterey
Bay Aquarium Research Institute, along with researchers from a dozen other institutions, conducted three month-long cruises to the Weddell
Sea in 2005, 2008, and 2009.
Global climate change is causing Antarctic ice
shelves to shrink and split apart, releasing thousands of free-drifting icebergs that are carried by
currents into the nearby Weddell Sea, the journal
Deep-Sea Research reports.
Their research vessel, Nathanial Palmer, very
closely approached these floating islands of ice
during this five-year research project, according
to a Monterey Bay statement.
The new study suggests that these icebergs carry iron-rich sediment from the land out into the
ocean. As these icebergs melt and drift across the
ocean, some of the iron dissolves in the seawater,
creating a trail of iron-rich meltwater that can be
up to 19 km long. The iron in this water helps fertilise the growth of microscopic algae.
Monterey Bay engineers, led by Alana Sherman,
developed a new robotic instrument that was programmed to sink 600 meters below the ocean surface while a large iceberg drifted overhead, then
rise back to the sea surface after the iceberg had
passed.
This instrument, called ‘Lagrangian sediment
trap’, was used to collect particles of sediment, bits
of dead algae, and other debris that drifted down
from the waters under and around the iceberg.
This device allowed scientists to measure for the
first time the amount of organic carbon sinking into
the deep sea beneath a large (six-km-wide, 35-kmlong, and 28-metres-high), free-floating iceberg.
The researchers compared the amount of carbon
sinking down to 600 meters beneath the iceberg
with the amount of carbon sinking in the open
ocean nearby.
They found that about twice as much carbon
sank into the deep sea within a 30-km radius of
the iceberg, compared with an open-ocean “control” area. IANS

ere, you can touch the clouds
every day of the year and feel the
wind blast rock you off your feet.
And for those who love wildlife
it is a great treat. Wondering
which is this magical place? Then pack your
bags and head to Himavad Gopalaswamy
Hills.
It is 220 km from Bangalore and 75 km
from Mysore. It has the distinction of being
one of the most famous tourist spots in the
state. The hill, which is at a height of 1450
metre, falls under Chamarajanagar district.
A large number of tourists and naturelovers visit the hills, which are also famous
for a temple on whose sitting deity the hill
has been named. The hill is wooded and the
most exciting feature of these hills is that
it is covered in fog throughout the year. You
can sight herds of wild elephants, bisons
and deer on the hills. It is a part of the
Bandipur National Park range and has a
number of pools for these wild animals to
quench their thirst.
Hima means fog, Gopalswamy is the other name for Lord Krishna. You can reach the
hills by reaching Mysore through Bangalore-Mysore highway and from there to Gundulpet through the Mysore-Ooty highway.
The hills are 10 km from Gundulpet. You
have a comfortable motorable road that
takes you to the top of the hill. The drive is
pleasant as acres of sunflower farms greet
you leading up to the foot of the hills. Just
few minute drive from Gundulpet you will
have a magnificent view of the gigantic hills.
Once you begin the ascent, you are surrounded by lush green forest. At the top,
register yourself with the forest department
and pay an entry fee of Rs 100 for motorbikes and Rs 500 for cars. This is new fee
set by the forest department for maintenance of the hill. You can visit the hills only
between 8.30 am and 5 pm. You can go on
trekking expeditions in the core of the
forest with prior permission from the forest department and you will be accompanied by a forest guard. Overstaying in the
forest without any permission from the forest department can lead to punishment.
There is a forest department guesthouse on
top of the hill, but you need prior permission to stay there.
The temple here was built in 1315 by
Chola Ballala and has the idol of Venugopalaswamy. The specialty of the temple
is that there is a constant stream of dew on
top of the temple. During the annual
rathostava, a unique bamboo chariot is
made to carry the deity. The view of the forest from the temple is mind blowing as you
are surrounded by hills, valleys and lush
green cover.
The temple surroundings are protected
under the Wildlife Act 1972. Don’t step
into the forest and disturb wild animals.
Guards will fine you for violating the rules.

H

ʻWorking
memoryʼ key
to self‑control
under stress

Washington: Can we anticipate how well someone will control his or her emotions, stay calm during stress, or even accept critical feedback stoically?
Heath A Demaree, professor of psychology at
Case Western Reserve University, feels the answer
might lie in what psychologists call “hot” and
“cold” psychology.
“People differ with regard to how well they can
control their emotions, and the one factor that predicts it is non-emotional in nature – it is a ‘cold’
cognitive construct,” Demaree explained, referring
to Working Memory Capacity (WMC).
WMC is the “ability to process a stream of information while engaging in a separate task or
while being distracted”, Demaree said, according
to a Case Western statement reported in the journal Emotion. For example, while taking notes during a lecture, you must listen to what the lecturer is saying at the moment, remember what has
already been said, and write it down.
People with a high level of working memory capacity were best at using a coping mechanism to
make themselves feel better and control negative
emotions after being harshly criticised.
In the study, Demaree and Brandon J. Schmeichel, professor of psychology at Texas A&M University, tested connections between high WMC and
the control of emotions.
This research follows a 2008 study – Working
Memory Capacity and the Self-Regulation of Emotional Expression and Experience. Researchers
found that though emotions can be controlled,
people with higher WMC were better at managing
their emotions when directed to do so.
“The 2010 study employs the same ideas. But
it additionally showed that people with high
WMC control their emotions more naturally – when
not directed to do so as well,” Demaree said. IANS

How to reach
l

Himavad Gopalswamy Hills is
220 km from Bangalore and 75 km
from Mysore on the Mysore-Ooty
road.
lA large number of government
buses ply to the hill from Mysore.
For those who wish to use their
own transport, use BangaloreMysore express highway and then
from Mysore head towards Gundulpet. A deviation from from Gundulpet leads you to the hills.

Dos & Don’ts
* Keep note of the timings and
don’t be late.
* Do not carry liquor as it violates
the forest act.
* Do not go beyond the boundaries
as the area is prohibited
* Get permission from the forest
department and take the help of
forest guards for trekking inside the
core areas of the forest.
* Keep warm clothing as it gets
cold on top of the hill.

NEWS & FEATURES 6

Saturday, May 14, 2011

world briefs
AP-PTI

Gaddafi could be
ʻwounded, on runʼ

AP-PTI

Actress Jane Fonda arrives for the
screening of Sleeping Beauty at the
64th international film festival, in
Cannes, southern France.

Over 3,000
protesters
rally in Syria
Syria: Over 3,000 protesters took to the
streets in Syria Friday, despite two days of
violent crackdowns on demonstrators, local
media said.
Syrian interior ministry said that about
3,700 people marched through suburbs of
Damascus, Idleb and Homs, chanting “Allah,
Syria, Freedom!”
Local media reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remained true to his
word not to shoot at protesters, but opposition leaders were quoted in Western media
as saying that two people were killed in
Homs.
Syrian rights activists say that more than
750 demonstrators have been killed in Syria
since the unrest began two months ago.
Earlier this week security forces conducted house-to-house raids in Syria’s third
largest city of Homs, the coastal town of
Baniya, the capital Damascus, and the
southern city of Deraa
About 2,000 students rallied against the
government raids late Wednesday in a university campus in Syria’s largest city of
Aleppo. The protest was dispersed by police
and pro-government students.
Rights activists describe Wednesday as
one of the bloodiest days in the unrest,
saying 22 people were killed, including 13
in the southern town of Al Harra, which
was shelled by tanks.
Syrian authorities claim the protests are
organised by Islamic extremists seeking to
seize power in the country. IANS

Tripoli: Muammar Gaddafi may be
wounded and on the run, Italian foreign
minister Franco Frattini said yesterdya,
adding that the Libyan strongman’s
regime is disintegrating.
Frattini’s remarks, based on a comments he said were made to him by the
Roman Catholic bishop of Tripoli, came
as rebel leader Mahmud Jibril was headed for the White House to press for US
recognition and aid.
“I tend to think of as credible comments by the bishop of Tripoli, monsignor (Giovanni Innocenzo) Martinelli,
who told us that Gadhafi is very probably
outside of Tripoli and probably also injured. But we don’t know where he is,”
Frattini told reporters in Rome.
An AFP correspondent in Tripoli attempted to reach Bishop Martinelli by
telephone but was unsuccessful.
Frattini had earlier told Corriere della
Sera daily: “I am of the view that (Gadhafi) has probably fled from Tripoli but
not from the country.”
He also cast doubt on the reliability
of television images showing Gadhafi
on state television earlier this week.
“I have a lot of doubts that those images were shot that day,” he said.
On Wednesday, the television showed
footage of Gadhafi in a meeting, which
it said was with eastern tribal dignitaries
that same day. Frattini said international
pressure was causing “the disintegration
of the regime from the inside, which is
what we wanted,” adding that arms
depots had been raided by rebels on
the outskirts of Tripoli in the past few
hours. “We have seen some rebel flags
flying... in eastern Tripoli,” he said.
“International pressure has apparently provoked a decision by Gadhafi
to seek refuge in a safer place,” he said.
With rebel forces claiming to be only

In this image from Libyan TV, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, back
right, holds a meeting with tribal leaders from eastern Libya, in Tripoli,
Libya, on Wednesday.
his son on Monday, an ICC prosecutor
told Spain’s Cadena Ser radio, RIA
Novosti reported. ICC prosecutor Luis
Moreno Ocampo said he would seek
warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al Islam and intelligence chief, Abdullah al
Senussi, for crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, Gaddafi issued an audio
address on the national TV Friday, dismissing rumours that he was injured
in NATO’s recent raid and saying he
was in a place “out of NATO’s reach.”
“You will never be able to kill me,
because I live where you cannot reach
and cannot kill me - in the hearts of
millions of people,” Gaddafi said in his
address to “the cowardly crusader”.
“Even if you eliminate me physically,
I’ll live in the hearts of millions,” he
added. However, Gaddafi’s audio refailed to convince western media
International prosecutor to marks
that the Libyan strongman was in perfect
seek warrant for Gaddafi
health. A week ago, the NATO air strike
Moscow: The International Criminal on a wealthy residential area in Tripoli
Court (ICC) would seek warrants for killed Gaddafi’s youngest son, Saif alLibyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Arab, 29. IANS
10 kilometres from Zliten, their next
main military target on the road to
Tripoli, insurgent leader Mahmud Jibril
was to hold talks with US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon.
Officials would not say whether President Barack Obama would drop by the
meeting, a practice sometimes used
with guests for whom protocol does not
dictate an official meeting.
Jibril, who handles foreign affairs for
the rebels’ National Transitional Council
(NTC), was asked by CNN television
what he expected from the talks and
replied: “We need the recognition.”
The Libyan opposition, based in the
eastern city of Benghazi, wants Washington to recognise the body as “the
sole legitimate interlocutor of the Libyan
people,” he said. AFP

Massive protest

AP-PTI

Anti-government protesters take part in a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, yesterday. Qatar has pulled out of an effort to mediate an end to Yemen’s
political crisis, blaming the country’s embattled president for the impasse and potentially leaving his regime
even more isolated among his neighbours.

Osamaʼs death Just a spoonful of
sugar makes
big milestone:
Congressman infections go down
Washington: The death of Osama bin Laden
was a major blow and an important milestone on the way to al-Qaida’s strategic
defeat, a top White House official said.
“The successful assault on bin Laden’s
compound is a strong blow and important
milestone on the way to al-Qaida’s strategic
defeat,” national security advisor Tom
Donilon said in his address to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
“But al-Qaida suffers additional fundamental challenges: The Arab Spring narrative presents al-Qaida with a potent ideological challenge. For its entire existence,
al-Qaida’s message has been that violence
is the only path forward.
“It has never had an affirmative program-? it could not have been further removed from and relevant to those who
came to Tahrir Square in January,” he said.
Donilon said as a result of the raid on
the Abbottabad compound, US now had
the single largest trove of intelligence ever
collected from a top terrorist leader.
“The intelligence community says it is
equivalent to a small college library worth
of material. It is remarkable: Based on what
we know now, we have tens of thousands
of video and photo files, and millions of
pages of text. One fact is already clear from
this intelligence: Osama bin Laden was
not simply a marginalised or symbolic figurehead,” he said.
He remained an operational commander
of al-Qaida’s a man directly involved in
strategy, operations, propaganda and personnel, Donilon said, adding, “In that compound in Abbottabad, we got more than
Osama Bin Laden.”
Referring to the process that led to the
capture and death of bin Laden, he said
dedicated professionals painstakingly scrutinised thousands of pieces of information
until they found a man they believed was
Laden’s trusted courier and began to track
his movements.
“We held more than two dozen interagency meetings and the President (Obama)
personally chaired five meetings in the
White House Situation Room in the six
weeks leading up to the operation on Sunday, May 1,” he said.
“When it came time to decide, there
were a number of options available, but
the President chose to launch the raid for
three main reasons: he wanted to limit the
risk to innocent civilians. He wanted to be
able to prove we found who we were looking
for. And he wanted to be able to exploit
any intelligence found at the scene.” PTI

London: Just a spoonful of sugar can impart that
killing edge to antibiotics against infections.
Researchers found that glucose and fructose –
types of sugar found in plants – make deadly bugs
behind chronic infections
more vulnerable to drugs.
Sugar can improve the
effectiveness of antibiotics
against infections, say researchers.
Such infections often
occur when bacteria 'shut
down', making antibiotics
ineffective against them,
reports the journal Nature.
Over time, the bugs,
known as 'persisters', return to life, causing patients to relapse, according to the Daily Mail.
Boston University scientists tested the effects of
drawing the bacteria out of their hibernation using
sugar. They found stimulating the bugs with sugar
renders them vulnerable to antibiotic attack.
Testing the strategy on Eschericia coli (E. coli) bacteria, a common cause of urinary infections, the researchers were able to eliminate 99.9 percent of persisters in just two hours.
Without sugar, the drugs they used had no effect.
The team now plans to examine whether sugar additives
can help fight tuberculosis. IANS

Mubarakʼs
wife in ICU
after heart
attack

Cairo: Egyptian former president
H o s n i
Mubar ak’s
wife, Suzanne
Thabet, was
moved to an
intensive care
unit after suffering a heart
attack Friday,
Xinhua quotSuzanne
ed the Egyptian state TV as stating.
“Suzanne Thabet has been
moved to the intensive care unit
at Sharm el-Sheikh hospital after
suffering a heart attack,” state
TV said.
The news came hours after
Egypt’s illicit gains authority ordered to detain Suzanne
Mubarak for 15 days pending investigation over illegal acquisition of wealth.
Assem al-Gohari, head of the
Illicit Gains Authority under the
Justice Ministry, ordered earlier
Friday her detention over charges
that she abused her position to
gain wealth illegally.
Mubarak and his two sons
were ordered to be detained for
15 days April 13. Their detention
have been renewed for twice.
They faced accusations of killing
protesters and corruption.
Mubarak was forced to resign
Feb. 11 and handed over his power to the armed forces after 18
days of mass protests against
his 30-year-long rule.
He was taken to the same hospital in the Red Sea resort of
Sharm el-Sheikh April 12 after
he suffered a heart attack when
he was first questioned by prosecutors for investigation. IANS

Pervez Musharraf
Dubai: Pakistan’s former military
ruler Pervez Musharraf has announced he will return to his
homeland no later than March
23 next year to participate in the
2013 general elections, despite
facing possible arrest in the country.
“I am going to land in Lahore
on the 23rd of March, 2012, if
not earlier – but not later,” he
told reporters here.
Musharraf, living in self-exile
in Dubai and London since leaving Presidency in 2008, is considering an election bid.
The 2013 election is for parliament, which selects the President in Pakistan.
The former President, who announced the formation of All
Pakistan Muslim League in London last October, shrugged off
arrest and assassination concerns
and said “I’m a risk taker.”
Musharraf, on return, is likely
to face Pakistani prosecutors
who are accusing him of being

a part of a conspiracy to assassinate ex-Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto in December 2007.
He also ruled out any deal
with the Pakistani government
or any political parties to secure
a safe return and said he would
soon announce the hierarchy of
the APML.
The retired general, who took
over power in a 1999 coup, said
he chose March 23 as his date of
return because it is Pakistan’s
National Day – the day to commemorate the signing of Pakistan
Resolution, calling for greater
Muslim autonomy in Britishruled India, in 1940.
The former President maintained that no ISI member had
the knowledge of Osama bin
Laden’s whereabouts. The alQaida chief was killed by the US
Navy SEALs on May 2 in the garrison town of Abbottabad, just
two-hour drive from Islamabad,
where he was hiding in a $1 million mansion. PTI

Obesity raises risk of
depression by 25%

Havana: Being obese could
increase the risk of depression by 25 percent, a study
has found. According to
professor Alberto Hernandez: “The word ‘fat’ has
become a social stigma,
and takes a psychological
toll on the individual.”
“Depression manifests
itself in negative thoughts,
personal disability, poor
state of mind and lack of
initiative and lack of physical activity.
“Such a person may not
be able to fully develop his
or her personality, desires
and interpersonal relationships,” Prensa Latina news
agency quoted Hernandez as
saying.
The problem is more acute in
women. Obesity-related depres-

sion is affecting more women,
in a two-to-one ratio, compared
to men, the study said.
An obese person’s efforts to

lose weight using incorrect, non-scientific
methods can lead to
failure, thus worsening
depression, the study
says.
“A vicious cycle develops in which depression, accompanied by
a lack of interest and
physical activity, leads
to more obesity, and
can cause physiological
problems in the endocrine and immune
systems,” says Hernandez, professor at Dr.
Salvador
Allende
Teaching Hospital in
Cuba. The study holds
that one effective and permanent
solution to obesity would involve
changing our diets and increasing physical activity. IANS

Bacterium nips sense of touch in blind

Practice improves

malaria in the bud

Washington: Scientists claim to
have identified a bacterium
which nips malaria in the bud
by stopping the development of
plasmodium falciparum parasite
that causes the disease in humans.
Malaria afflicts more than 225
million people worldwide. Each
year, the disease kills nearly
800,000 people.
Now, a team at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health has found that the Enterobacter bacterium is part of
the naturally occurring microbial
flora of the mosquito’s gut and
kills the parasite by producing
reactive oxygen species, the ‘Science’ journal reported.
“In this study we show that
certain bacteria can directly block
the malaria parasite’s development through the production of
free radicals that are detrimental
to Plasmodium in the mosquito
gut.
“We are particularly excited

about this discovery because it
may explain why mosquitoes of
the same species and strain
sometimes differ in their resistance to the parasite, and we may
also use this knowledge to develop novel methods to stop the
spread of malaria.
One biocontrol strategy may,
for example, rely on the exposure
of mosquitoes in the field to this
natural bacterium, resulting in
resistance to the malaria parasite,” said George Dimopoulos,
who led the team.
In their study, the scientists

isolated the Enterobacter bacterium from the midgut of
Anopheles mosquitoes collected
near their institute located in
southern Zambia.
About 25 percent of the mosquitoes collected contained the
specific bacteria strain. Laboratory studies showed the bacterium inhibited the growth of Plasmodium up to 99 per cent, both
in the mosquito gut and in a test
tube culture of the human malaria parasite. Higher doses of bacteria had a greater impact on
Plasmodium growth. PTI

Ultrasound as effective as CT scans in most cases

Washington: CT scans confer no clinical advantage over a simple, lowcost ultrasound procedure, says a new
study. Michael Vaiman of Tel Aviv
University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine compared the efficacy of CT versus
ultrasound scans for locating vertebral
arteries in the throat, required before
a neck surgery.
His findings follow warnings from
international health organisations
about the dangers of overexposure to
CT-related radiation, the journal European Archives of Oto-RhinoLaryngology, reports.
Some medical experts caution that
patients are exposed to too many CT
scans, and the results could be harmful
to their health. Excessive radiation
can itself lead to cancerous growths,
for example, according to a Tel Aviv
statement.
After comparing the outcomes of
250 CT scans with 500 ultrasound im-

Musharraf plans
to return to Pak
in March 2012

and assess neck tumours, enlarged
lympatic nodules, diseases of the salivary glands, different kinds of
bronchial cysts, or the development
of thyroid cancer.
Although ultrasound is not the investigation of choice for every neck
pathology, it is adequate for diagnosis
and assessment of treatment options
for most of these conditions.
Ultrasound can not only locate a
lesion, it can provide information
about its size, consistency and relation
to other organs, as well as other features.
“I would especially recommend ultrasound when children are investigated. There are some tumours that
ages, Vaiman concluded that there is
CT scans combine X-rays with highly do require CT or MRI investigation,
no advantage to using CT scans for sophisticated computers to produce but these cases are rare. When
most of these procedures, especially a number of pictures of the interior of in doubt, and high-resolution
those that are used to locate anomalies the body.
imaging is necessary, I would suggest
in the neck to map major arteries
Traditionally, doctors have relied a low-radiating MRI,” concludes
on these scans to find neck arteries Vaiman. IANS
before surgery can take place.

Toronto: Do blind have a better
sense of touch because the brain
compensates for loss of vision
or because of heavy reliance on
their fingertips? A study says
that daily dependence on touch
is the answer.
Twenty-eight blind participants with varying degrees of
Braille expertise and 55 normally
sighted adults were tested for
touch sensitivity on six fingers
and both sides of the lower lip,
reports the Journal of Neuroscience.
Researchers reasoned that, if
daily dependence on touch improves tactile sensitivity, then
blind participants would outperform the sighted on all fingers,
and blind Braille readers would
show particular sensitivity on
their reading fingers, according
to a McMaster University statement.
But if vision loss alone improves tactile sensitivity, then
blind participants would outperform the sighted on all body
areas, even those that blind and
sighted people use equally often,
such as the lips.
“There have always been these
two competing ideas about why
blind people have a better sense
of touch,” explains Daniel Goldreich, study co-author and pro-

fessor in psychology, neuroscience and behaviour, McMaster
University.
“We found that dependence
on touch is a driving force here.
Proficient Braille readers -those
who might spend hours a day
reading with their fingertips performed remarkably better.
But blind and sighted participants performed equally when
the lips were tested for sensitivity.”
Researchers used a speciallydesigned machine which held
the pad of the participant’s fingertip perfectly still for the experiments. While the finger lay
over a hole in the table, the machine pushed rods with textured
surfaces through the opening
until they met the fingertip.
Not only did blind participants
do better than their sighted peers,
but Braille readers, when tested
on their readings hands, outperformed non-readers who were
also blind. For Braille-reading
participants, their reading fingers
were more sensitive than their
non-reading fingers.
“Braille is extraordinarily difficult to master, particularly as
an adult. In future we may find
new ways to teach Braille to people who have recently become
blind.” IANS

LIFESTYLE 7

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Applegate to
star in TV
comedy

S

panish studio Vertice 360
and Quinta Communications, owned by Frenchman
Tarak Ben Ammar, have signed
an agreement with Spanish actor-director Antonio Banderas’
Green Moon Productions to coproduce his next two films, “Automata” and “Solo”.
“Automata”, to be directed by
Spaniard Gabe Ibanez, is a science-fiction epic that will offer a
vision of the moment when human civilisation is contacted by
artificial intelligence.
Banderas will play Jacq Vaucan,
an insurance agent with a robotics
company who during a routine
investigation discovers something
that will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.
“Automata”, a $35 million project, will be shot on location in
Tunisia and Egypt beginning late
this year.
Meanwhile, filming of “Solo”,
in which Banderas will produce,
star and direct, will start in 2012.
That psychological/science-fiction thriller will tell the story of a
soldier who suffers from posttraumatic stress syndrome and
becomes immersed in a world of
nightmares and hallucinations.
Banderas said in a statement
that the alliance among the three
companies represents “a great
opportunity for European cinema”.

A

ANTONIO BANDERASʼ FIRM

ctress Christina Applegate has been
roped in to star in
comedy show “Up All
Night”.
The show to be aired by
US network NBC will see
the 39-year-old actress portraying a working mother
with a stay-at-home husband coping with family
pressures.
‘Saturday Night Live’s
star Maya Rudolph will also
star along with Lorne
Michaels, who is also a coexecutive producer of the
new show.

inks deal for his next two films

T

alk show queen Oprah
Winfrey has been immortalised with a street
name in Chicago, where her
talk show is based.
The 100th block of North
Carpenter Avenue in the city
– which is the location of her
chat show – has been renamed
as Oprah Winfrey Way.
“It is really just a full-circle
miracle story that a little
coloured girl born in
Kosciusko, Mississippi, on a
red dirt road ends up with my
name on a street in the greatest
city in the world, Chicago. So,
thank you! That’s better than
an Oscar or an Emmy,” contactmusic.com quoted her as
saying.
Mayor Richard Daley – who
was with Winfrey to unveil the
road sign – described her as a
“great presence” in the city.
“There isn’t enough time or
adequate words that can describe what your 25-year journey has meant to Chicago.
Your presence in Chicago has
been a gift over two decades.
The ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’ has
drawn worldwide attention to
our city and an instinctive energy from it,” said Daley.

I fell in love with
Vancouver: Kristen Stewart

A

ctress Kristen Stewart,
who recently finished filming the final scenes for
the two “Breaking Dawn” movies
admits she fell in love with Vancouver while shooting for the
franchise.
“We shot most of the ‘Twilight’
series in Vancouver.
I fell in love with it – it’s such
a beautiful city. I found the climate so different from what I’m
used to in Los Angeles. The air

Tarantino wants to
cast Gaga in new film

Winfrey gets street
named after her

F

rom villain to comedian, from
deaf and dumb to schizophrenic
– in the last 40 years Nana
Patekar has fiery performances in
multiple avatars. But the actor candidly admits he doesn’t allow a director to take full control unless he
is confident of his or her capability.
“I submit myself totally to the director provided the director has that
capacity; otherwise I fight,” Nana,
60, who was last seen in “Rajneeti”
last year, said in an interview.
The actor is known to avoid watching his own films and certainly never
heaps praise on them.
Asked why, Nana said: “I don’t
see my films because once I finish
dubbing, my creativity is over and
nothing fascinates me, not even the
release of the film. I can’t change
anything. If I were directing a film, I
would stay with it till the end.” He is
eager to work with directors like Raj
Kumar Hirani and Neeraj Pandey.
“‘Munnabhai M.B.B.S.’ is one of
the best films I have seen in a long
time. I would like to work with Rajkumar Hirani. Another person I
would like to work with is Neeraj
Pandey. His ‘A Wednesday’ was an
amazing movie,” he added.
Some of Nana’s memorable performances were in “Parinda” (1989),
“Krantiveer” (1994). “Khamoshi: The
Musical” (1996), “Wajood” (1998)
and “Welcome” (2007).
After wearing the grease paint for
years, Nana doesn’t have to make
extra effort to get into character.
“Subconsciously you keep on gathering things in your personal life. I

have been in this field for 40 years
and it’s like blotting paper, you know.
You keep absorbing the good and
bad of different real characters,” said
Nana, who is planning to direct his
second film.
A lot has been written about how
Nana’s character in “Shagird” that
released on Friday is loosely inspired
by late encounter specialist Rajbir
Singh, but the actor says he doesn’t
know anything about the similarity.
“I really don’t know whom my
character resembles. You should ask
the director and the producer. This
character has dark shades. He is loyal
to himself, not to his profession,”
said Nana.
He had earlier played an encounter
specialist in “Ab Tak Chhappan”, in
which his character resembled Daya
Nayak of the Mumbai encounter
squad. Did he make a conscious effort
not to repeat himself in “Shagird”?
“My director had seen ‘Ab Tak
Chhappan’, so obviously when he
offered me the same kind of role, it
had to be different from what I have
done before. It’s his responsibility –
if I were repeating anything, he would
have corrected me. I am fortunate
that I got such a nice director,” said
the actor who rarely watches his
films.
But he bent rules for “Shagird”.
“The film will surprise you again
and again. I normally don’t say good
things about my film. Fortunately, I
have watched this film and this is
not because of me, it is because of
Tigmanshu Dhulia. He narrated the
film so well,” said Nana.

I SUBMIT TO CAPABLE

directors, otherwise I ﬁght: Nana

F

ilmmaker Quentin Tarantino
is reportedly eager to cast
pop singer Lady Gaga in his
next movie.
The “Pulp Fiction” director tried
to impress Gaga by inviting Brad
Pitt and Angelina Jolie to meet
the singer and she wasted no time
asking the couple to attend her
Cannes Film Festival gig Wednesday.
“Tarantino knows Gaga’s a big
fan of Brad and Angelina. When
she heard they were both in
Cannes, too, she mentioned that
she’d love to have them come and
watch the show. So Quentin gave
his pal Brad a bell to ask the couple to join them,” mirror.co.uk
quoted a source as saying.
“It’s no secret Quentin’s been
eyeing up Gaga for a role in one
of his up-and-coming films. And
now they’re both in Cannes, he’s
keen to show off his movie star
credentials,” the source added.

is clean and fresh and there are
beautiful mountain views everywhere.
But I didn’t get to go out as
much as I would have liked,”
femalefirst.co.uk quoted her as
saying.
Stewart, who is dating her costar Robert Pattinson, also loved
shooting the second movie in
the series in Italy and she especially enjoyed the European
country’s food.

Naomi to raise
funds with
show at Cannes

S

upermodel Naomi Campbell is busy organising a
charity catwalk show to
raise funds for Japan during the
Cannes International Film Festival in France next week.
Campbell wanted the show to
be a follow-up to the Fashion
For Relief fundraiser she staged
in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake in 2010, revealing last
month, “It’s not 100 per cent
confirmed but we are in talks
right now and hopefully... we
should know if we’re doing a
Fashion For Relief for Japan. Not
in Japan, hopefully in Cannes.”
The show has been scheduled
for Monday, according to Britain’s
Daily Mirror.
“I hope the money will support
those who need it most,” said
Campbell.

LIFESTYLE 8

Saturday, May 14, 2011

ʻDelhi Bellyʼ budget high,
Iʼm worried: Aamir

A

t a time when filmmakers are splurging
money on their movies, Aamir Khan is
concerned about the budget of his next
production “Delhi Belly”. The cost might touch
Rs.25 crore, which the actor-filmmaker feels is
high for an adult comedy.
“Its budget is on higher side. It would end
somewhere between Rs.20 to Rs.25 crore, which
doesn’t include promotion. I am worried about
that. We are trying to keep as low as possible
right now,” said Aamir.
This is not his first movie where the budget
has shot up, says the 46-year-old who has produced films like “Lagaan”, “Taare Zameen
Par” and “Peepli Live”.
“All my films have gone over budget to different degrees. I feel I am not a hardcore producer who fixes budgets before starting a film
and no-matter what, he makes sure he doesn’t
have to spend a penny more. I am more of a
creative person. It happens with all my films.
For one reason or the other, it always exceeds
the stipulated budget,” said Aamir.
The adult comedy, which Aamir feels will
mar his reputation as a family filmmaker, is
directed by Abhinay Deo who roped in Imran
Khan, Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapoor to tell
this funny story.
The release date of “Delhi Belly” is July 1
and it is clashing with megastar Amitabh
Bachchan’s “Bbuddah… Hoga Tera Baap”, but
that won’t affect business, said Aamir.
“I think this is not new. Two big films have
released together previously too. ‘Dil’ and
‘Ghayal’ came together. ‘Welcome’ and ‘Taare
Zameen Par’, ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Gaddar’ there are
so many examples like it. I don’t think it
matters.

H

ollywood star couple Brad
Pitt and Angelina Jolie are
being sued by a former employee whowas fired while on sick
leave.
The unnamed woman worked as
a bilingual secretary at their Miraval
chateau in the South of France. She
was dismissed by a manager at the
estate while on sick leave on the
grounds that her absence impacted
the running of the property.
The woman is now seeking 80,000
euros in compensation for unfair
dismissal.
“She has nothing against them
personally and says she was always
treated well. But they did not step
in to prevent her being dismissed,”
femalefirst.co.uk quoted the woman’s
lawyer Emmanuel Ludot as saying.
“Mr. Brad Pitt, who is also famous
for his charity work and adoption of
children, should understand that
my client needs compensation as
soon as possible, and that she’s not
asking for millions, just a fair amount
for unfair dismissal. We hope they
will both be faithful to their reputation for humanitarian causes,” Ludot
added.

Brangelina sued by
former employee

I am smitten with
my family: Travolta

J

A

ctress Selena Gomez is
feeling “depressed” as
her TV show “Wizards
Of Waverly Place” has come to
an end.
A fan sent Gomez a message
on Twitter.com, telling her, “I’m
gonna bawl my eyes out when
Wowp (‘Wizards Of Waverly
Place’) finishes,” and the actress
replied, “Me too.”
Then she posted, “3 days
left... depressed.”
The 18-year-old, who is dating
singer Justin Bieber, also posted
a picture of the cast with a congratulations cake for their 100th
episode.
“On behalf of my cast and
myself, thank you for believing
in our show for the past 5 years...
We are truly grateful and owe
it all to you.”

ohn Travolta loves being a
dad and says he can’t think
of anything more fun than
family time.
The 57-year-old actor and his
wife Kelly Preston lost their son
Jett in 2009. The next year, in
November 2010, their son Benjamin was born. Travolta says
they are slowly helping each other overcome their grief and that
the arrival of the new member
in the family is a good sign.
“It has been rough but you
work hard at healing. Everything

Gomez depressed as
ʻWizards Of Waverly...ʼ ends

D

esigner John Galliano
will reportedly stand
trial in Paris June 22
on charges of verbally abusing three people with antiSemitic and racist slurs on
two separate occasions.
The British-born designer,
who was sacked from French
couture house Christian Dior,
faces up to six months in
prison and a fine of 22,500
Euros ($31,430) if found
guilty, reports contactmusic.com.
Galliano’s lawyer Aurelien
Hamelle claims his client
was provoked.
The three plaintiffs –
Geraldine Bloch, Philippe
Virgitti and Fathia Oumeddour – allege the designer
hurled insults at them in
Paris on two separate occasions – first time in October
2010 and later in February
this year.
Galliano’s lawyer said his
client, who didn’t appear at
the hearing, isn’t currently
in France. But, Hamelle refused to reveal the designers’
whereabouts.

about having a baby is wonderful
- holding him, singing to him,
being with him and his sister.
Just quiet family time.
It’s the best, it’s pure joy,”
contactmusic.com quoted him
as saying.
“I get my inspiration from
Kelly and our children. It’s all
about the family I can’t think of
anything more fun than family
time. I am smitten with my family
they are my priority,” he added.
Travolta says he is very fond
of his own parents.

Designer John Gallianoʼs

trial set for June 22

Curtains for ʻHorrible Bossesʼ

T

he makers of “Two And A
Half Men” are reportedly
talking to a lot of actors to
replace Charlie Sheen in the hit
sitcom and the latest name doing
the rounds is that of Ashton Kutcher.
According to sources, Kutcher
is getting a “huge payday” to join
the show.
The show’s creator, Chuck
Lorre, has written a storyline to
introduce Kutcher in a way that
satisfies CBS as well as Warner
Bros studio, reports hollywoodreporter.com.
“It’s really funny. People are
going to love it,” said a source.
Apart from Kutcher, actors Hugh
Grant, Rob Lowe and John Stamos
were also considered.

Anistonʼs topless scene?

J

Ashton Kutcher to
replace Charlie Sheen?

ennifer Aniston, known for her
romantic comedies, is playing a
mean dentist in “Horrible Bosses”
and has even shot a raunchy scene
for the movie but the producers are
still deciding whether or not to include
footage in the final cut.
“She shot a topless scene, but the
producers aren’t sure if they’ll use it,”
contactmusic.com quoted a source as
saying.
Aniston plays a role of a dentist in
the film who sexually harasses a male
employee and she was keen to do the
topless scene.
“She knows she can’t show off her
boobs forever, so she’s going out with
a bang. The studio is playing up her
sexuality, and she’s all for it,” the
source added.